N.J. should support subsidized child care

Patti Sapone/The Star-LedgerPre-school students attend class in Piscataway in 2009.

In response to “Requirements may ease for needy with kids in subsidized day care” (May 4): Last year, I retired as director of a subsidized child care center after 18 years. Indeed, requirements have changed during that time. As state Sen. Brian Stack (D-Hudson) said, if there is abuse of the child care system, who benefits? Children — particularly of parents who are working as hard as they can to keep them fed and in apartments rather than on the street, although many are in homeless shelters.

Want to find money? Stop giving part-time legislators benefits such as retirement packages or health benefits. Also, try using on legislators the electronic attendance system used to ensure parents bring their children for the amount of time the centers claim they are there. Legislators could clock in and out when they are in Trenton doing their jobs. How can someone work three taxpayer-funded jobs (Sen. Nicholas Sacco, D-Hudson) and get benefits from them, yet we cannot give subsidized child care to taxpayers trying to provide the best safe, educational environment for their children?